Which Jaguars' Rookies Have the Clearest Paths to Playing Time in 2020: No. 9-7
Entering the 2020 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars are set to be a team of youth.
They have young core starters at quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, defensive line and the secondary, and most of the team's elders from the last several seasons (Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, Marqise Lee) are no longer on the roster.
Add in the largest draft class in franchise history with 12 rookies, and the Jaguars are set to lean on their young talent throughout the entirety of this upcoming season as they hope to improve from last year's 6-10 record.
So as the Jaguars depend on their historically large draft class to help them turn around their fortunes, which rookies have the best chance to find the playing field early? We take things into consideration such as the likely depth chart, draft position, role, NFL ready ability and more.
In this edition, we look at the No. 9 through No. 7 rookies in our rankings of clearest paths to playing times.
Yesterday we looked at No. 12 through No. 10, with the following players starting the list:
No. 12: QB Jake Luton
No. 11: OL Ben Bartch
No. 10: LB Shaquille Quarterman
So, who starts off this edition's list of the players? We take a look below and present our arguments for each player.
No. 9: WR Collin Johnson
In the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jaguars made the move to draft the 6-foot-6, 222-pound Collin Johnson. The No. 165 overall pick in this year's draft, Johnson gives the Jaguars an outside receiver option who is a towering presence thanks to his massive frame and leaping ability.
“We're looking at him and looking at the numbers and looking at what he did in 2018, obviously had a great year, got a little hampered going into his last year there," head coach Doug Marrone said after the Jaguars drafted Johnson. "It's different than what we have; he's a guy that's 6-6, 222 pounds, he can run real well, just a different element."
But while Johnson does give the Jaguars a different element at receiver, it is difficult to see where his snaps will come from in year one. DJ Chark is the team's No. 1 receiver and will be on the field as often as possible, while Dede Westbrook already has the slot position locked down. Chris Conley and Keelan Cole are returning veterans who, with all things considered, were productive in 2019. Then there is second-round rookie receiver Laviska Shenault, who will likely be granted more opportunities than Johnson early on.
Johnson is a talented player who used his size to his advantage to become productive at the college level, but there is simply a logjam at receiver in front of him. His future with the Jaguars could be bright, but 2020 could see him playing more special teams than offense.
No. 8: S Daniel Thomas
The No. 137 overall pick in the draft's fifth-round, and the third of four defensive backs drafted by the Jaguars in April, Daniel Thomas brings loads of experience and production to Jacksonville's secondary. During his time at Auburn—including starting every game his junior and senior year—Thomas racked up 199 total tackles from his safety position, along with 13 passes defended and five interceptions.
But should Thomas be expected to play a big role on the defense early on? In the team's draft call to Thomas upon selecting him, they referenced him playing free safety, which means he will have to compete with veteran safety Jarrod Wilson for a spot on the field.
While Wilson was far from elite in 2019, he was one of the most important pieces of the defense and he has the trust of the coaching staff behind him. He was the only defender to play 100% of the team's defensive snaps and he led the entire team in combined tackles with 79.
Thomas brings athleticism and toughness to Jacksonville's secondary, but he has his work cut out for him to displace Wilson as a starter in the secondary after Wilson was adequate in his first year in the role last season.
No. 7: TE Tyler Davis
One of three pass-catchers the Jaguars drafted in April, Tyler Davis is a former collegiate quarterback who has enticing physical traits but little experience and overall production, though that is in large part due to the offense he played on at Georgia Tech last season.
Drafted in the sixth round with the No. 206 overall pick, Davis (6-foot-4, 250-pounds) recorded 17 receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown last season. He served primarily as a run and pass blocker, while also serving on the specials teams units, and this will likely be his role early on with the Jaguars considering the players in front of him on the depth chart.
While offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is a big-time advocate for utilizing tight ends in his scheme, there are three players who will likely keep Davis off of the field to an extent with veteran free agent signee Tyler Eifert, second-year athletic specimen Josh Oliver and last year's top Jaguars tight end James O'Shaughnessy. Davis has the size and athleticism to produce in some fashion during his career, but the tight end room is too crowded for him to see extensive reps as a rookie.
